Tag: dovahkiin

How popular is the baby name Dovahkiin in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Find out using the graph below! Plus, see baby names similar to Dovahkiin and check out all the blog posts that mention the name Dovahkiin.

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Popularity of the Baby Name Dovahkiin

Number of Babies Named Dovahkiin

Posts that Mention the Name Dovahkiin

Potential baby names may be hiding in the titles of classic arcade games of the ’80s and early ’90s. No, I’m not talking Q*Bert or Pac-Man. But how about Azurian, Zaviga, or Cadash?

Below are a bunch of possibilities, most not even as daring as Dovahkiin, Tali’Zorah, or Sephiroth. Three of them — Kage, Raiden, and Truxton — have already popped up in the SSA data. (And if you’re in the mood to play, click through to check out playable versions of the games hosted by the Internet Archive!)

Amidar (1981)

“Amidar” is based on Amidakuji (the name of a Japanese game) which is based on Amida (the name of a figure in East Asian Buddhism).

Cortana in Halo 3A couple of months ago, I noticed the name Cortana in a birth announcement round-up over at Waltzing More Than Matilda. After reading that post, I realized we hadn’t talked about the name Cortana over here yet. :)

The baby name Cortana first appeared on the U.S. baby name charts in 2008, thanks to the character Cortana from the video game Halo.

2013: 21 baby girls named Cortana

2012: 10 baby girls named Cortana

2011: 10 baby girls named Cortana

2010: 10 baby girls named Cortana

2009: 7 baby girls named Cortana

2008: 12 baby girls named Cortana [debut]

2007: unlisted

Wait a minute, you’re thinking. Didn’t the first Halo come out long before 2008?

Yes — the first installment came out in 2001, and Cortana has been a part of the series since the beginning.

But she began playing a larger role in the game starting with Halo 3, which came out in 2007. This is what accounts for the 2008 debut.

Cortana’s name is thought to refer to a type of short, blunt sword more commonly known as a ‘curtana’ (from the Latin word curtus, meaning “shortened”).

UPDATE: Professional namer Nancy Friedman happened to post about the name Cortana today as well: How Cortana Got Its Name (about Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant for Windows Phone 8.1, Cortana).

A baby girl born in North Carolina in early January was named Tali’Zorah (full first name) after a character in the video game Mass Effect.

Tali’Zorah’s father, Adam, said the name was his wife’s idea:

“I was playing the first Mass Effect while she enjoyed it as a spectator, and she fell in love with the name ‘Tali’Zorah’ the instant we met the Quarian being hunted by Fist.

“She told me back then, ‘If we ever have a daughter, I’d love to name her Tali’Zorah,'” Adam said. “It just sounds so beautiful.”

Is he worried Tali’Zorah might be teased about her unusual name?

“Kids will pick on other kids, whether it’s for a name, their hair, or their clothes, so the best I can do is to teach her how to treat people with respect and how to handle those who refuse to do the same.”

Good answer.

What do you think of the name Tali’Zorah? (Her middle name is Rose, btw.)

Aaradhya – from the daughter of Indian actress Aishwarya Rai. The baby was born in late 2011, but not named until early 2012.

Catalaya, Cattaleya, Catalia, Katalaya, Katalia, etc. – variants of Cataleya, which debuted last year. (And which now happens to be skyrocketing in popularity.) Cataleya was a character in the movie Columbiana (2011).

In 2001, Jason Black and Frances Schroeder of New York tried to auction off the name of the their third child (first son) via Yahoo and eBay. They were aiming for a corporate sponsor, so the bidding started at $500,000. No one bid. They ended up naming the baby Zane Black.

In 2002, Bob and Tracy Armstrong from Florida tried to auction off the name of their baby (gender unknown) via eBay. After eBay pulled the auction for the third time, they decided not to try again.

In 2002, Heather and Steve Johnston of Washington state tried to auction off the name of their baby boy via eBay. The bidding started at $250,000. I found no follow-up stories, so I imagine the auction was either pulled or unsuccessful.

Video games on one end, $15,000 on the other…such wildly different values placed on baby names. Kinda fascinating, isn’t it?